The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for simulating the aerodynamic performance of objects dispensed from a moving aircraft. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for calculating predicted trajectories of a plurality of objects, such as expendable countermeasures for example, dispensed from a moving aircraft to assist with evaluating the performance (safety, effectiveness, etc.) of such objects.
Infrared countermeasures are often dispensed from aircraft to counter heat seeking surface-to-air missiles or air-to-air missiles. Such infrared countermeasures are typically decoy flares having a burning temperature equal to or hotter than engine exhaust of the aircraft. The goal of such infrared countermeasures is to make the heat seeking missiles seek out the heat signature of the burning flare rather than the heat signature of the aircraft's engines.
Infrared countermeasures are typically launched as projectiles, gravity-fed, or otherwise dispensed from object dispensers located inside the aircraft's fuselage. The countermeasure dispensers are programmable to dispense flares at predetermined intervals. With pyrotechnic flares, the dispensers automatically ignite the flares as they are being dispensed.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a method implemented on a computing device simulates trajectories of objects dispensed from a moving aircraft. The computing device has a processor capable of accessing a memory and at least one input device. The illustrated method includes storing object dispenser data in a database in the memory of the computing device. The object dispenser data includes locations and orientations of object dispensers linked to an aircraft. The method also includes receiving input data from an input device to select an aircraft for the simulation, retrieving object dispenser data from the database stored in the memory of the computing device to determine a location and an orientation of at least one object dispenser relative to the selected aircraft, and receiving input data from the input device to define flight conditions for the aircraft. The flight conditions include an inertial position in an inertial coordinate system, an inertial heading, and a flight speed of the aircraft. The method further includes receiving input data from the input device to define an object dispense sequence for the at least one object dispenser, and calculating a trajectory for each object dispensed from the at least one object dispenser using the processor of the computing device.
In another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for simulating trajectories of objects dispensed from a moving aircraft includes a display, at least one user input device, a processor operatively coupled to the display and the at least one input device, a memory accessible by the processor, and an object dispenser database stored in the memory. The object dispenser database includes object dispenser data indicating locations and orientations of a plurality of object dispensers linked to a plurality of aircraft. The system also includes trajectory simulation software stored in the memory for execution by the processor. The trajectory simulation software includes a first processing sequence for generating a graphical user interface to select an aircraft for the simulation, a second processing sequence for retrieving object dispenser data from the database stored in the memory to determine a location and an orientation of at least one object dispenser relative to the selected aircraft, and a third processing sequence for generating a graphical user interface to define flight conditions for the aircraft. The flight conditions include an inertial position in an inertial coordinate system, an inertial heading, and a flight speed of the aircraft. The trajectory simulation software also includes a fourth processing sequence for generating a graphical user interface to define an object dispense sequence for the at least one object dispenser, and a fifth processing sequence for calculating a trajectory for each object dispensed from the at least one object dispenser.
In yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer program product comprises a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code being adapted to be executed to implement a method for simulating trajectories of objects dispensed from a moving aircraft. The illustrated method includes a first processing sequence for generating a graphical user interface to select an aircraft for the simulation, a second processing sequence for retrieving object dispenser data from a database to determine a location and an orientation of at least one object dispenser relative to the selected aircraft, and a third processing sequence for generating a graphical user interface to define flight conditions for the aircraft. The flight conditions include an inertial position in an inertial coordinate system, an inertial heading, and a flight speed of the aircraft. The illustrated method also includes a fourth processing sequence for generating a graphical user interface to define an object dispense sequence for the at least one object dispenser, and a fifth processing sequence for calculating a trajectory for each object dispensed from the at least one object dispenser.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.